Hey guys! Long time no see… er write.. Er type… er… anyway! This fic is for Sithstruck and her awesome Tabloid. This is the behind the scenes of it. I know I haven't finished Carnival of Souls… that's currently on hold until I can actually figure out how to write the next chapter…ANY WAY! Sithstruck gets the credit for the origin and inspiration to this fic *hands Sithstruck credits earned from fic and merchandise* Spend them wisely! Hope you guys enjoy! And you too Sithstruck! Thanks for giving me permission! You rock!
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Tahl's Tabloid 'Behind the scenes'
Chapter One: Origins
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Qui-Gon stood outside the council room waiting to be admitted. No doubt he was going to get a very serious mission. They didn't even ask for Obi-Wan to come. It must be too dangerous for him.. That or they were still peeved at him for his little stunt last week with the toaster oven and Mace's hair remover shampoo. The doors opened and he walked in, ready for whatever assignment they would give him. He bowed. "Masters."
"Qui-Gon, have for you an important task, we do."
Qui-Gon listened intently.
"Get Tahl a hobby you must." The little green master said. Tahl was confined to the temple because of her blindness. Well that's what she would tell you. According to the masters, she was there until she recovered from her surgery.
He had not expected this! He just stared. "Huh?"
Mace sighed. His head was still bandaged from the toaster oven and hair removal incident. "She's bored."
"Okay…" Qui-Gon wasn't seeing where this was going.
"And because she's bored she's been playing pranks on both master's and padawans. She was responsible for this." Mace pointed to his bandaged head.
"I thought that was Obi-Wan…"
"It was but she instigated it. Then laughed her head off when it happened."
"oh…" The details on the incident were hazy, Mace wouldn't talk about it and Tahl swore Obi-Wan to secrecy.
"Get her a hobby, and fast."
Qui-Gon left the chambers utterly confused and dazed. Get Tahl a hobby? It was hard enough AVOIDING her current hobby. Just as he said that… SPLOOSH! The door he opened dropped a bucket of water on him. He sighed as he saw a form rolling around on the floor laughing hysterically.
"Sir, you mustn't roll on the floor it is filthy and you could get stepped on." Too-Jay said.
Tahl stopped laughing abruptly just so she could smack the droid, then went back to laughing.
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Qui-Gon walked with Tahl back to her apartment. "You know the council is pretty annoyed at you for your actions lately."
"Oh, they deserve it. It will teach them to lighten up."
"Tahl." Qui-Gon spoke with a slight warning to his tone.
Tahl huffed. "Oh fine… I'll think of a new hobby."
"Why not painting?"
Tahl said nothing.
"Okay dumb suggestion." He forgot about the part of the hobby where you need to SEE you're art. "How about, reading… oh right… well Too-Jay could read to you…"
Tahl said nothing.
Qui-Gon was beginning to think she was insulted. "Alright why not writing. You dictate and Too-Jay types it up! I'm sure you could write some really interesting stories!"
Again she said nothing.
"Are you mad?"
She snapped her head at him a confused look on her face. "About what?"
"Well about the suggestions I-"
"Suggestions? You were talking?"
Was she deaf too?
She straightened. "I was too busy trying to think of a hobby. First I thought about painting… But I'd end up painting Too-Jay…not that I mind. Then I thought about reading or Too-Jay reading to me… But I'm not a toddler. Then I thought about writing, I could dictate and Too-Jay could type it up! I bet I could come up with some pretty interesting stories."
"That's great!" Qui-Gon was happy that she was possibly, most likely getting a new hobby. A harmless one at that, also. Hopefully.
"Sir, There is a wall next to you." Too-Jay spoke robotically.
Tahl leaned over and smacked the droid.
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The next morning…
"Qui-Gon!"
The master turned and saw Tahl running toward him waving some papers in her hand. "What's that?"
"My first story!" She was excited. "I decided to write a newspaper. I'm gonna call it 'Tahl's Tabloid', kinda catchy, ain't it? Or maybe Tahl's Talk."
He took the paper that held a main article about his padawan and had pictures of the boy that he had never seen before. From the looks of it, the pictures looked like they were shopped to make him look evil with a dark cloak that made him look like Xanatos. "Uhm… a fictional alternate universe story?"
"What? No! I write it as I see it!" Then she stopped. "Figuratively speaking of course." she said waving her hand.
So that's what all those questions were yesterday night. He was trying to sleep and she kept annoying him with really weird questions. He had thought it was just a dream, seeing as it was three in the morning when she asked him. He had been awfully grumpy when he had stated his case on the subject, which she seemed to exaggerate on in her 'Tabloid'. Even Obi-Wan's thoughts were exaggerated. He didn't growl at her making him sound like a Sith. He had actually burped and it sounded like a growl. He had finished his three in the morning snack barely a few minutes before she arrived.
"Tahl you can't write these kinds of things."
Tahl seemed insulted. "Why not? You said I was supposed to get a new hobby, you want me to go back to stealing Mace's hair removal shampoo and hiding Yoda's gimer stick on him?"
"NO!" Qui-Gon turned around and saw a large crowd of Jedi behind him with their hands up in a defensive 'STOP' position. They coughed, then looked away and awkwardly scattered.
Qui-Gon looked back to Tahl who had a cocky look on her face. "See?" She asked placing her hands on her hips and lifting her nose into the air triumphantly.
Qui-Gon groaned. "Well at least keep it confined to the Temple alright?"
"Too late." Tahl turned around as she said this and began walking away.
"'Too late'? What do you mean 'too late'?" Qui-Gon asked pursuing her.
"A friend of mine in the senate has a copy. He said it was so interesting that he was going to spread it across the galaxy! He said he'll try and get it officially published by an actual publishing company. He's aiming for Fan Fiction Dot Net Publishing Co. But if he can't get that one, he'll go with Sithstruck Publishing Co.: Slightly smaller but they have published quite a few stories on similar topics! Maybe I can get both!"
Qui-Gon could not believe what he was hearing. He supposed he should go report this to the council. He turned and left.
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"I don't see a problem." Mace said reading the main article.
Qui-Gon sighed.
"Keeps her out of trouble, it does" Yoda said agreeing while reading his own copy of the Tabloid. In fact as Qui-Gon looked around, the entire council was reading the Tabloid. He supposed there wasn't really any harm in the articles. People knew they weren't true… right?
Somehow he had a feeling this would get out of control.
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One week later 'Tahl's Tabloid' became the number one selling magazine and newspaper. It became so popular that other magazine and newspaper companies went out of business and tried to sue, but failed because of Tahl's connections in the senate.
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Okay so that is the first chapter of this story. I hope you guys liked it. I kind of made it up as I went along. Please R&R! I'll be doing other chapters that correspond with Sithstruck's Tabloid chapters. :3